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OYB June 30

Hey! You did it. You're half way to reading the entire Bible! Celebrate with some ice cream or a root beer float!

2 Kings

17:9
The people of Israel had also secretly done many things that were not
pleasing to the Lord their God. They built pagan shrines for themselves
in all their towns, from the smallest outpost to the largest walled
city.I wonder how they "secretly" were able to do this. Sounds
kinda funny to have them in every town yet kept a secret. In their
cookie jars? Sock drawers?

17:13 Again and
again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and
Judah: "Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees—the
entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you
through my servants the prophets."He still does this to us
today through His Holy Spirit, and we also have the warnings of the
prophets and the Torah, yet we are just as disobedient and secretly
idolatrous as they-both corporately and individually! Remember, to keep
the entire law, what must we do today? Love God, love people.

17:14
But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their
ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God.Unbelief is the world's sin! (John 16:9)

17:33-34
And though they worshiped the Lord, they continued to follow their own
gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they
came. And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their
former practices instead of truly worshiping the Lord and obeying the
decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands he gave the
descendants of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel.

I used to
think, "Thank goodness we're not like them today!" But as I study
church history, we are no different and never have been. Our own forms
of idolatry and tradition that have been passed down to us for so long,
we even think they're righteous. I'm sure the Israelites thought their
traditions of men were all for the right reasons, too. We do this to
ourselves. We justify our habits and traditions by tracing them to a
crumb of truth in what we're doing, while feasting on a cake of
deception. Deception is a powerful, stealthy
reality for all of mankind since the days of Adam. "And [the beast] deceives those who dwell on the earth..." Revelation 13:14.

How
do I know all this? Besides the fact that the Bible tells us this over
and over, all you have to do is confront a lie that is being believed
by a person or a group (or even a generation) and you get tarred and
feathered. Sometimes even crucified. I say all of this in humility,
knowing that I have chosen many lies and have also been totally
deceived in certain areas for most of my life. Thank God He is removing the scales! In fact,
until this past year, I used to think I was above deception, and then
God began showing me how many traditions of men I had patterned my life
and belief system after-it was so humbling! I'm sure I've got a long
way to go. Also, another way I know this is that we have gotten so far
away from reading and applying the Bible from a Jewish perspective. The
Bible has lost so much meaning because we don't go to the intended
audience as a source that can help us understand it.

Why am I on such a soap box against idol worship
and traditions of men today? Well, I think the end of this age is near,
and I think many Christians are way deceived. And I think that I have a
responsibility to declare what I've learned that might make a
difference for those who would hear and believe, according to the
Scriptures. I see that the Bible is full of warnings of the same, so
what I'm saying is nothing new in the course of history. There is no
time to waste for those who have an ear to hear.

`He
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To
him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I
will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which
no one knows but he who receives it.' Revelation 2:17

Acts

20:1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples...Another
thing I notice throughout Acts: none of the mainstream Jews of Paul's
day wanted the truth! There is nothing new under the sun. Truth creates
conflict.

20:7 On the first day of the week,
when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to
them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message
until midnight. Remember that a day begins at sunset. Since
Paul was speaking until midnight, I believe they gathered either on the
Sabbath or at sundown (Saturday night) just after the Sabbath. Notice
he keeps speaking and fellowshipping until dawn. I think it would be
awesome to have these kinds of services once in awhile. I hear a lot
about all night prayer vigils in other countries such as in Colombia
and Nigeria.

20:8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together.What a cool picture of the lights of the world gathered in one room.

20:24,
26-27 "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself,
so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from
the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.
...Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood
of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole
purpose of God.What a precious statement. May this heart be true of me. And what did Paul say was the whole purpose of God?

"For
this we both labour and are reproached, because we hope on the living
God, who is Saviour of all men -- especially of those believing." 1
Timothy 4:10 (Young's Literal)

Psalm

148:5-6, 11-13 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
for he issued his command, and they came into being. He set them in
place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked. ... Praise
the Lord from the earth...kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children. Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven!

Special
Treat: In his recent newsletter, Mark Biltz sent out this little bit of
exciting Bible code! If you take the first letter of every name in the
"begats" from Adam to Terah, (Abraham's father), it forms an acrostic
that becomes an exciting revelation of God's redemptive plan!